Wandering the Sewers
by tvfan69
Summary: Set after "The Fourfold Trap", dead or alive Karai landed in the sewers after she was healed by Splinter, which means she closer to home then ever. Splinter may have had enough for one day but the boys aren't ready to give up on their sister. *One-Shot*


She knew what she was doing, and she really wanted to stop it, but she couldn't. The brain worm did more than control her; it convinced her all over again that Shredder's lies were the truth. Everything she did was of her own action and her own choice; the worm in her brain simply guided her. But then after the fight with Splinter everything became hazy. Suddenly she could barely seeing and the water swirling around her faded in and out, she couldn't even feel herself drowning. Finally she managed to make out the blurry image of a ledge and by some miracle found both the concentration and the strength to pull her body up onto it. She didn't even know what form she was in anymore, though she was fairly certain it was snake. All she knew was that her stomach was violently churning and she had one of the worse migraines in existence. But her flipping stomach was what had most of her attention, she hadn't thrown up in years and she had almost forgotten how awful of a feeling it was. She didn't even want to imagine the consequences of losing her lunch while in snake form; the venom would probably burn her throat into nothing. She couldn't focus, so she tried to force down the rising bile, but her body acted on what she can only assume to have been an instinct as she felt herself begin to change; hoping she was turning human. As she transformed the headache lessened; but it was replaced by the disgusting feeling of a worm wriggling around somewhere near her nose.

As things became clearer Karai found herself on her hands knees and opening her mouth as she wretched, but that godforsaken worm was fighting her. Instead she found herself now kneeling more upright with her head tilted back as she gaged before finally she flung her head forward and spit out the foul creature.

She gasped for air as the muddled world around her suddenly became clear, and she shouted when she dared to lift her head up only to see the worm screeching back at her.

Jumping back in slight surprise that the damn thing was still living she automatically drew out her sword and flung it at the creature, effectively cutting it in half.

For a minute Karai just sat there. Eyes wide and breathing heavy as it settled in on her what she had done recently, and then tears began streaking down her face. Her breath hitched in her throat as she began to cry harder, her hands clutching at her head. She didn't have much time to cry before the urge to vomit hit her again and she found herself back on her hands and knees as everything she had eaten recently came back up and landed in a puddle on the cold bricks of the sewer. Once she was done throwing up, for the time being, she collapsed on the ground and curled into a fetal position. She just lay there crying, sobbing violently and screaming that she wanted to go home.

"PLE, PLEASE LEO! I'M SORRY! I, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT I WAS, WAS, DO, DOING! I, I JU, JUST WANT TO COME HOME!" She screamed as though her brother could actually hear her. The worst part was that she knew they would take her back, she knew that they would let her come home no matter how unworthy she felt. But instead of thinking on it she pulled herself to her knees and cried her thoughts aloud. "Please, I, I don't know, where, where I, I am. I, I, don, I don't know how, how to ge, get home!" She sobbed, screaming her thoughts still loudly but much more quietly than before.

She stayed like that for hours, just sobbing, calming down, and then starting all over again. She tried to think about what to do, she thought that maybe she could try wandering around the sewer and see if hopefully she would wander to an area she recognized. But she hadn't spent her life down here the way her brothers had, unless she found something right away the familiar and the strange would most likely be indistinguishable. She eventually threw up again, and having nothing left in her stomach after last time it was all bile. The bile left an awful taste in her mouth but it was still better than the taste of venom; something Karai had no intentions of using any time soon.

Stockman hadn't exactly been able to turn her human; if he had then he would've done it to himself. But rather due to the uniqueness of her mutation he was able to alter it and allow her full control; which despite his selfish reasons was probably the ONLY thing Shredder ever put her through that she's grateful for.

Shredder.

Just the thought of him made her blood boil and when she clenched her fist she couldn't help but dig her nails deep into her palm. She hated him, she hated him so much-

She stopped. She stopped her thoughts cold when suddenly her eyes flickered to black and white vision and her tongue split, she also felt her fangs take the place of her teeth.

But it only lasted for a second, as the moment she noticed she stopped it and brought herself back to full human form.

"Whoa" she said to herself in surprise, her eyes wide as saucers. "Gotta watch that," she said.

Finally with a shaky breath she stood up and with even shakier limbs she began walking. For a moment she stopped and looked down at the thankfully dead worm but only bent down in order to retrieve her weapon. She then set off down the sewer tunnel.

* * *

So close. They had been so close to bringing Miwa home, and then he let her go. Splinter had been so careful after learning of her survival, he didn't want to hurt her and so he didn't tell her the truth. But Leonardo was insistent and, despite the pain the truth has caused them, he was right. Miwa had every right to know that Shredder was lying to her, but revealing such a truth had taken its toll on their family. It had affected the boys, it had affected their friends, but worst of all, it may have killed Miwa. Splinter was currently meditating, over the years he had often felt a sense of his wife's spirit on the spiritual plain but he never once sensed the presence of his daughter's; now he knew why and now he prayed that he once again would not find it.

Unbeknownst to Splinter, who was deep in meditation, his four sons were peering through the door of the dojo, watching their father.

"Do you think he did it?" Donnie finally broke the silence as the four brothers stepped away from the door.

"Does it matter?" Leo asked, "He said it himself, she's gone"

"What happened to never give up hope?" Raph questioned sarcastically

"This coming from you? You said she was a lost cause!" Leo snapped

"And I was wrong!" Raph snapped back, all three of his brother's staring at him in disbelief. "I was wrong ok, she's not a lost cause. I thought she was because I gave up hope for her. But Splinter didn't and he was able to save her from that worm" the hotheaded turtle continued and for a minute it was quiet, before Mikey spoke up.

"Come on guys, she went down a sewer drain and we know these tunnels like the backs of our hands. Let's go find her"

* * *

Karai was wandering the tunnels, listening for any signs of life but hearing nothing other than the rhythmic "drip drop" of water dripping from the pipes. She sighed in frustration; she was never going to find the lair.

"Hey mom" she sighed, wondering if maybe pretending her mother could hear her would somehow help, it would at least help fight off the loneliness. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you for awhile, my mind's been a little… jumbled lately" she didn't know what the point was in lying to something that's not even there, especially if somehow that something really is there it already knows the truth. "Look, I know I haven't been the best daughter, in fact I've probably been the worst. But I didn't know, Shredder lied to me. Look I just, I just want to go home and tell father I'm sorry so if you could somehow help me find my way there, I'd really appreciate that." She said, she wasn't sure if she really believed that her mother could help her get home or not but it can't hurt to try, right?

* * *

Raph had been trudging through the sewers for hours now, his mind just replaying his words from this morning over and over again. He never should've called her a lost cause; he never should've given up on her. But after all she did, it was just easier to think she may never come back. But at the same time that thought made his gut twist, how could he think such thoughts for his own sister?

"Karai, I don't know where you are, but I hope your not up there listening to me" the red banded turtle began. "Look, I know you and I don't really have the best relationship, but I'm sorry. I never should've given up on you. I know I always call Leo out for the high opinion he has of himself but truth is, I'm just as bad. I pretend I'd do anything to save my family but when you needed us all I did was give up and tell the guys to do the same. Look I'm sorry ok! Now would you please just come home so I can say this to your face?" He spoke aloud, truthfully if they did find Karai he would probably never say any of this to her face, but he would tell her he's sorry.

* * *

Mikey was right about one thing, they all know the tunnels of the sewer like the backs of their hands. Because of this Donnie was able to map out exactly where the sewer drain Karai had gone down let out. But when he didn't find her there he searched the entrances to some of the surrounding tunnels and in the third and final one he found something. It wasn't his sister, but it was evidence that she had been here. He was looking at the butt end of a brain worm; one that looked as though it had been sliced off from it's other half.

"Oh no" Donnie gulped before taking out his T-phone and dialing Leo

"Hello" Leo answered

"I found half of the brain worm but no Karai" Donnie reported

"Only half?" Leo questioned and although his brother couldn't see him Donnie nodded.

"She must have tried to kill it by slicing it in half. But worms can regenerate, not to mention reproduce asexually" Donnie said and he could practically feel Leo running a hand over his face.

"So now we have to hunt down a worm?" He groaned but Donnie's face hardened in determination.

"We should but no. We're never going spot it anyway; I'll need to make a tracker to have any hope of finding it. For now let's just focus on Karai" he said

"Donnie if more of those worms get on the loose-" Leo began but Donnie cut him off.

"You told me to try harder, this is me trying harder" and with that he hung up.

* * *

Donnie ended the call and Leo let out a loud groan, as if he didn't feel bad enough already.

"This is all my fault" he muttered to himself "I'm the one who was so convinced that she should know but honestly everything's been a wreck since we told her the truth!" The leader reflected, "Seriously things were so much simpler when we all thought she was Shredder's daughter!" He exclaimed but then he stopped himself, knowing that what he was saying were words that he didn't mean. After all, they couldn't let her go through her life as a lie, and she wouldn't want them to.

"Karai where are you?" Leo asked aloud.

* * *

"Karai!" Mikey shouted as he walked through the sewers "Karai!" He called again but still no answer "Come on sis where the heck are you?" He grumbled "this just isn't fair, every time we find her something else happens and we lose her again. Every stinking time!" The orange clad turtle exclaimed as he continued his search through the sewers. Mikey was rarely one to get mad but for once he didn't care, he was beyond frustrated with his sister's constant disappearing.

* * *

Karai didn't have the slightest clue where she was going but she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a far away voice.

"Karai!" The voice called, she listened thinking she may have started hearing things, but it soon came again. "Karai!" It called, she knew immediately who it was.

"Don- Donatello?" She stuttered but she got no response. "Donatello?" She tried a little loud and then faintly far in the distance behind her she heard a gasp.

"Karai?" He called out

"I'm here!" She called back, a wide grin breaking out across her face.

"Where? Oh and you can call me Donnie by the way" He called back to her

"I don't know where, there's nothing here but stone walls!" She called back

"Karai! Is that you?!" Mikey's excited voice came echoing into the conversation.

"Just stay where you are Karai, just keep talking and don't move! We'll follow the sound of your voice" Donnie called to her

"What do you want me to say?" Karai called back

"Oh! Oh! Tell us a story!" Mikey's voice rang in excitement, it sounded as though he was a lot closer.

"I don't care, maybe call out for Leo and Raph!" Donnie suggested; Karai could practically feel him rolling his eyes at Mikey.

"Dude there at the whole other end of the sewer! They'll never hear her!" The youngest turtle shouted.

"Well it gives her something to say!" Donnie shouted to his brother

"So does telling us a story!" Mikey shouted back

"Enough! Arguing is just going to lead you to each other! I'm standing in the middle of a tunnel, there aren't any other openings around me but there's a corner up ahead! Um, I'm not completely human but I have control over my mutation so please don't worry about me attacking you. I have no idea how long I've been down here but I don't think it's been overnight yet" Karai began shouting anything she could think to say.

"You've been down here for roughly seven hours" Donnie called to her.

"Ok um, I don't know what else to say!" She shouted back

"Well say something sis because I'm at a fork in the road!" Mikey called, his voice sounding like it had gotten farther away.

"Why are you calling me sis?" Karai blurted out, knowing that it probably came out a little meaner than she had intended.

Mikey heard her voice come echoing off one of the tunnel walls and he took off sprinting down it.

"Because you're our sister! Duh!" He called back to her

For a moment Karai froze, their sister? She understood that they were related but did the turtles really think of her as a sister?

"Karai keep talking!" Donnie's nearing voice snapped her out of her thoughts

"Uh right, right! Uh… Uh... what am I supposed to say?" She shouted again

"Well you're our sister and we know almost nothing about you, start talking about yourself!" Mikey called, sounding to be getting closer.

"Uh my favorite color is light blue, I really like Batman movies, and um I don't know!" She called

"You like Batman? Dude we are so going to get along! Anyway keep talking, I think I've only got one more turn to go!" Mikey shouted

"Well if you're that close then I'm over here!' She shouted

"On it!" Mikey's voice came ringing back and about a minute later the youngest turtles came barreling around the corner and he didn't stop until he had tackled his sister to the ground.

"We thought we lost you again!" He exclaimed

At first Karai had no idea how to respond to this situation, the idea that her brothers not only thought of her the way she thought of them but had actually come searching for her and missed her was a concept completely foreign to her. But it was a feeling she liked, so she returned Mikey's hug.

She heard Donnie clear his throat from behind her, which signaled Mikey to let her go.

"So um, are you coming home this time or…?" Donnie asked as his oldest and youngest siblings stood up and faced him.

"If you'll let me" she said and Donnie smiled.

"Of course we will" he assured her and Karai smiled in response before she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, which Donnie gratefully returned.

* * *

Donnie called Leo and Raph to let them know they were coming home, with Karai, and by the time they got there their brothers were already in the lair.

"Karai!" Leo exclaimed, enveloping her in a hug almost as quickly as Mikey had.

"Wow I never pegged you guys as big huggers" Karai commented

"Don't worry, it's usually just Mikey. If Raph ever hugs you he'll disguise it as a headlock" Donnie pointed out

"That is so not true!" Raph defended, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It is true" Leo commented as he released his sister.

The five teens over at the lair's entrance shared a laugh but only for a moment before their father poked his head out of the dojo.

"What is going on- Miwa?" He asked in disbelief.

His daughter stared back at him for a moment before doing almost exactly what she had done the first time the boys brought her home, she dragged her feet over to him before wrapping him in a hug.

"Thank you and I am so, so sorry for everything" she said, only when she spoke did Splinter notice that she was starting to cry.

"Do not be sorry for what you could not control, but please don't run away again" Splinter said as he stroked her hair and she nodded against him.

* * *

"So Donnie tell you that you screwed up?" Raph's taunting voice mocked from behind the couch where Karai was lying down later that night, trying to sleep.

"Yes" she groaned as she sat up and turned her head. "So do you get up to yell at people at two in the morning every night or is today special?" She asked almost as sarcastically as Raph who hopped down into the seat next to her with a smirk.

"No not every night" he continued

"Look in my defense I was really disoriented and really focused on not letting that thing back near my head so sorry if a briefly forgot about worm biology" Karai snapped and Raph rolled his eyes.

"Relax I'm not here to lecture you on the proper way to kill a worm. I actually just wanted to say that…I'm, I'm sorry" He mumbled the ending and Karai smirked

"What was that?" She asked and he mumbled again "Still can't hear you" Karai said in a singsong voice.

"Don't push it" Raph grumbled and again Karai smirked.


End file.
